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So I needed somewhere to put my fishing rod when I went camping. I've seen canopies that have built-in gun racks attached to the roof, and while that sounded good, I didn't think the CFO would approve that purchase, since I only fish a couple times a year.
My Cap is the Vagabond model by Raider. But I suspect a similar approach would work with most caps. I originally tried to use a couple of large c-clamps and some lumber, but it never really worked.
Here's what I built:
Very simple materials, just a 2x6, and a 1x2, along with some longer bolts to hold the canopy down, and a couple of washers.
I suspect that a 2x8 could be used instead, but I was worried about the twisting force that a wider shelf might create. As well, you could stack your 1x2 higher, but this hold my fishing rods, campfire hot dog sticks, and sun umbrellas pretty securely.
What you can't see in the pics is that the 2x6 isn't totally flush against the exterior wall of the canopy, so some things can drop down there. that's no big deal though, they are easy to get out.
If you notice in the third pic, the 2x6 stops well short of the front of the bed, the canopy seems to slope upwards there, and it just wouldn't sit flat otherwise. That's also not been a problem. you can see the 1x2 goes further forward then the 2x6.
Once I had decided what I was doing, this took me 1 trip to the hardware store for the longer bolts, and about an hour of messing around and drinking beer. I suspect if you were in a hurry and had all the materials on hand, it could be built in under 20 minutes. I had to pace my self to ensure I had enough
So, there you have it, a simple and cheap shelf for the inside of your canopy. Lets you get your fishing rod (and lots of other stuff) out of the way and easy to access, while leaving your bed free for larger items.
I used those Self stick hooks by 3M, that they sell everywhere. I put the hooks so they face away from each other and used a budgy cord band to hold the rods to the inside of the Tonnaeu lid. Used the soft black foam that's used to ship computer towers to cushion the reels. The foam is stuck on with 3M outdoor rated foam doubled stick tape. Very light weight and only one hook has come loose.
I was thinking of the 3m hooks, I use those all over my house. I was just concerned about the freeze/thaw cycles that we see here, plus the vibration. Glad to hear it's working well for you.
Lately the shelf has been getting more action from the kids toys tham from my fishing rod, but it's always got something in it.
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